Process of treating tobacco.



No. 747,081. PATENTED DEC. 15, 1903. A. NAUWBLAEBS. PROCESS OF TREATING TOBACCO.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 25, 1903.

N0 MODEL.

NoRms PETERS co. wore-mum WASHINGTON. 0. cv

Patented :neeemter 15, 1903.

NTTED TATES PATENT Trice.

ALFREDO NAUWELAERS, OF JALAPA, MEXICO.

PROCESS OF TREATING TOBACCO.

SQPEGIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 747,081, dated December 15, 1903. Application filed February 25, 1903. Serial No. 145,077. (No specimens.)

T0 to whom it may concern.-

Be it known that LALFREDO NAUWELAERS, a subject of the King of Belgium, residing at No. l Victimas Patria street, Jalapa, Republic of Mexico, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Processes of Treating Tobacco; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to a process of treating tobacco; and the object of my invention is to change the maduro color of the tobacco leaves (whether of old or new tobaccolto a claro color without altering the essential qualities of the tobacco and without endangering the health of the user.

In the accompanying drawing the figure represents a cross-section,partlyin elevation, of an apparatus adapted to carry out my process.

Ct represents the wall of a room or other inclosure in which the tobacco is to be treated.

b represents bars provided with pins 0, or, if desired, rods connecting the vertical bars I) may be used instead of pins.

cl 61 represent outlets in the top of the room for the escape of air or gases, and these outlets may be provided with dampers,.if desired.

6 8 represent electric fans or other means for causing currents to circulate within the room a.

f represents a sulfur-oven provided with a chimney g and with a pipe h, connecting the oven with the room a. In this oven sulfur is burned and the sulfurous-acid gas delivered into the room c.

t' represents a furnace in the top of which is mounted a boiler j, which connects by means of a pipe is with the lower part of the room a. The pipe is provided with a stopcock Z for regulating the How of gas through said pipe and with exit-openings m.

'n represents the chimney for the furnace i.

In carrying my invention into effect the tobacco is hung up upon the pins 0 and exposed to the direct influence of anhydrous sulfurous-acid gas, which is delivered into the room a from the furnacef. In a short time this gas attacks the chlorophyl or coloring material of the tobacco, and the dark color of the leaves is rapidly changed to a lighter color. As soon as this occurs the tobacco is put into an adjacent room or the flow of sulfurousacid gas into the room is cut off, and the to-v bacco is exposed to the action of a bath of combined vapor and air, which is caused to rapidly circulate through the room by means of the fans 6. These fans cause a rapid circulation of air and the vapor or steam given olf into the room through the pipe is.

In the boiler Z is put the following mixture: fifty liters of pure water, ten liters of a de- .coction of tobacco. obtained by soaking tovapor is given off from this mixture which restores the tobacco to its original condition, except that it is of lighter color than formerly. The mixture in the boilerj is preferably not heated more than to 95 Fahrenheit. The use of the glycerin is more especially to prevent fermentation and the heating of the tobacco afterward.

The decoction of tobacco is obtained by soaking in water tobacco of the same kind that is treated,the reason being that the original flavor of the tobacco may be preserved unaltered, and a further reason being that by this means small pieces of tobacco may be utilized that would otherwise be thrown away.

The anhydrous sulfurous-acid gas attacks nothing but the coloring-matter, leaving all of the other components of the tobacco untouched, and the subsequent double bath of vapor and air eliminates completely every trace of this gas.

Having thus described my invention,what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is

1. The process of treating tobacco which consists in subjecting the same to the action of anhydrous sulfurous-acid gas and afterward to the action of a combined bath of vapor and air, said vapor being obtained by ICO heating water containing tobacco of the same kind as that under treatment, substantially as described.

2. The process of treating tobacco which consists in subjecting the same to the action of anhydrous snifurous-acid gas, and then subjecting the same to the action of a combined bath of vapor and air, said vapor being obtained by heating a mixture of Water containing tobacco and an aromatic substance, 10 glycerin, and alcohol, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

Witnesses:

ALFREDO NAUWELAERS. ERNEST D. LUX, G. ZOOOPESA. 

